The prior art has proposed push-push on-off switches which produce rotation of an operator which in turn controls the switch contacts. A push-push on-off switch is especially useful in low power requirement switching operations such as switching between AM-FM channels and other such applications generally found in automotive radios. Typical of this application is that illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,293,751 and 4,318,221 entitled "Process for Producing an On-Off Push Switch and Resulting Article," inventors John D. VanBenthusen and Carlton M. Osburn and commonly assigned.
Other on-off switching mechanisms are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,991 entitled "Indexing Device for a Rotary Snap Switch," inventor Robert E. Hartsock, assigned to United Car Fastener Corporation and illustrating a floatable rotary switch-operating element manually displaced between two coacting sets of gear teeth, the rotary element being operatively associated with one gear element at one position, and manually displaced axially to engage a second set of complementary teeth. The purpose of these on-off rotary switches is to produce a switch which is relatively compact and useable for low power operations.
In an earlier approach illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,067 entitled "Push Rotary Switch Construction with Lost Motion Contact Coupling," inventor William L. Brown and assigned to Boyne Products, Inc., there is illustrated a plunger operated rotary switch successively indexed by rotary operation responsively to a stroke operation of the plunger.
An early illustration of a push button switch is found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,061,578 entitled "Push Button Switch," inventors Heinrich Wischhusen and Alexander Hepke. Other related push button electrical switches illustrate the development of the art wherein an externally operable plunger is manually displaced to effect angular or rotary switch action, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,798,907 entitled "Electric Switches," inventor Hans Wernhard Schneider and U.S. Pat. No. 2,945,111 entitled "Push Button Electrical Switch," inventor Thomas C. McCormick.
What these prior art references share in common is the attempt to produce a simple, externally operated push-push switch in which one complete push actuation of the manually operated portion of the switch effects a first switch operation followed by a second depression or push to effect an opposite switch action. Obviously, such a switch must be protectively housed and contain the functional components within such housing, and all components being operated by external means.
It is the essential purpose of the present invention to reduce the number of components of a typical push-push switch, as for example the ones illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,204,067; 4,293,751; and 4,318,211, and advancing the art of assembly by obviating mechanical fasteners and relying instead upon locking elements comprising interfitted components of the switch.